IN SITU OXIDATION OF SUBSURFACE FORMATIONS

• US 20090194282A1
• Filed: 10/13/2008
• Published: 08/06/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Busheng Li, Chonghui Shen, Gary Lee Beer, Weijian Mo
• Original Assignee: Busheng Li, Chonghui Shen, Gary Lee Beer, Weijian Mo
• Inventors: Mo, Weijian, Beer, Gary Lee, Shen, Chonghui, Li, Busheng
• Granted Patent: US 7,866,386 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 166/272.7
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 36/04 using electrical heaters
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/24 using heat, e.g. steam injection
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/30 Specific pattern of wells, e.g. optimising the spacing of wells
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/38 Auxiliary core members; Auxiliary coils or windings
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 29/04 having provision for tap-changing without interrupting the load current
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32926 Software, data control or modelling
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32935 Monitoring and controlling tubes by information coming from the object and/or discharge
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49083 Heater type

Abstract

Methods and systems for treating a hydrocarbon containing formation described herein include providing heat to a first portion of the formation from a plurality of heaters in the first portion, producing produced through one or more production wells in a second portion of the formation, reducing or turning off heat provided to the first portion after a selected time, providing an oxidizing fluid through one or more of the heater wells in the first portion, providing heat to the first portion and the second portion through oxidation of at least some hydrocarbons in the first portion, and producing fluids through at least one of the production wells in the second portion. The produced fluids may include at least some oxidized hydrocarbons produced in the first portion.

Claims

1-1774. -1774. (canceled)

1775. A method for treating a hydrocarbon containing formation, comprising:

providing heat to a first portion of the formation from a plurality of heaters in the first portion, at least two of the heaters being located in heater wells in the first portion;

producing fluids through one or more production wells in a second portion of the formation, the second portion being at least partially substantially adjacent to the first portion;

reducing or turning off the heat provided to the first portion after a selected time;

providing an oxidizing fluid through one or more of the heater wells in the first portion;

providing heat to the first portion and the second portion through oxidation of at least some hydrocarbons in the first portion and movement of the fluids heated by such oxidation from the first portion to the second portion; and

producing fluids through at least one of the production wells in the second portion, the produced fluids comprising at least some oxidized hydrocarbons oxidized produced in the first portion.

1776. The method of claim 1775, further comprising producing fluids comprising at least some oxidation products through one or more production wells located in a third portion of the formation, the third portion being substantially adjacent to the second portion.

1777. The method of claim 1775, wherein one or more of the heaters are substantially horizontal or inclined.

1778. The method of claim 1775, further comprising controlling the pressure in the formation to at least partially control the oxidation of hydrocarbons in the formation.

1779. The method of claim 1775, wherein the oxidizing fluid comprises air, and further comprising using at least some of the produced fluids to power one or more turbines at the surface of the formation.

1780. The method of claim 1775, further comprising heating with heaters, producing, and providing heat through oxidation to a the second or additional portions of the formation in a sequential manner.

1781. The method of claim 1775, further comprising injecting steam into the formation.

1782. A method for treating a subsurface formation, comprising:

heating a first portion of the formation from one or more heaters located in the first portion;

producing hydrocarbons from the first portion;

reducing or turning off the heat provided to the first portion after a selected time;

injecting an oxidizing fluid in the first portion to cause a temperature of the first portion to increase sufficiently to oxidize hydrocarbons in the first portion and a third portion of the formation, the third portion being substantially below the first portion;

heating a second portion of the formation from heat transferred from the first portion and/or third portion and/or one or more heaters located in the second portion such that an average temperature in the second portion is at least about 100°

C., wherein the second portion is substantially adjacent to the first portion;

allowing hydrocarbons to flow from the second portion into the first portion and/or third portion;

discontinuing or reducing injection of the oxidizing fluid in the first portion; and

producing additional hydrocarbons from the first portion of the formation, the additional hydrocarbons comprising oxidized hydrocarbons oxidized in from the first portion, at least some hydrocarbons from the second portion, at least some hydrocarbons from the third portion of the formation, or mixtures thereof, and wherein a temperature of the first portion is below 600°

C.

1783. The method of claim 1782, wherein the third portion is directly below the first portion.

1784. The method of claim 1782, wherein the second portion is directly adjacent to the first portion.

1785. The method of claim 1782, wherein producing comprises producing a majority of the hydrocarbons from the formation.

1786. The method of claim 1782, further comprising injecting steam into the formation.

1787. A method for treating a subsurface formation, comprising:

producing a majority of hydrocarbons from a first portion of the formation and/or a third portion of the formation by an in situ heat treatment process of the portions,

heating a second portion of the formation with one or more heaters to an average temperature of at least about 100°

C.;

, the first portion and third portion being separated by the second portion;

reducing or turning off the heat provided to the first portion after a selected time;

injecting an oxidizing fluid in the first portion to cause a temperature of the first portion to increase sufficiently to oxidize hydrocarbons in the first portion;

injecting an oxidizing fluid and/or a drive fluid and/or creating a drive fluid in the third portion to cause at least some hydrocarbons to move from the third portion through the second portion to the first portion of the hydrocarbon layer;

reducing or discontinuing injection of the oxidizing fluid in the first portion; and

producing additional hydrocarbons and/or syngas from the first portion of the formation, the additional hydrocarbons and/or syngas comprising at least some hydrocarbons from the second and third portions of the formation.

1788. The method of claim 1787, wherein the oxidizing fluid comprises air and/or hydrocarbons produced from the first portion and/or the second portion.

1789. The method of claim 1787, wherein the drive fluid comprises steam, water, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, methane, pyrolyzed hydrocarbons, and/or air, or mixtures thereof.

1790. The method of claim 1787, wherein the average temperature of the third portion ranges from 270°

C. to 450°

C.

1791. The method of claim 1787, further comprising heating to create sufficient drive fluid in the third portion such that injecting drive fluid and/or oxidizing fluid in the third portion is can be discontinued.

1792. The method of claim 1787, further comprising:

heating a fourth portion and a fifth portion of the hydrocarbon formation with heaters, wherein the fourth portion is between the first portion and the fifth portion, and wherein a temperature of the fourth portion is less than a temperature than of the first portion and a temperature of the fifth portion; and

a

producing hydrocarbons from the fifth portion.

1793. The method of claim 1792, further comprising:

reducing or discontinuing production in the fifth portion; and

injecting an oxidizing fluid in the fifth portion to cause a temperature of the fifth portion to increase sufficiently to oxidize hydrocarbons in the fifth portion, wherein injecting occurs during moving hydrocarbons from the third portion to the first portion and producing additional hydrocarbons from the first portion.

1795. The method of claim 1792, further comprising:

reducing or discontinuing production of additional hydrocarbons from the first portion;

injecting and/or creating a drive fluid and/or an oxidizing fluid in the first portion to cause at least some hydrocarbons to move from the first portion through the fourth portion to the fifth portion of the hydrocarbon layer;

reducing injection of the oxidizing fluid into the fifth portion; and

producing additional hydrocarbons and/or syngas from the fifth portion of the formation, the additional hydrocarbons and/or syngas comprising at least some hydrocarbons from the first and fourth portions of the formation.

1796. The method of claim 1787, wherein the formation has a horizontal permeability that is higher than a vertical permeability of the formation so that the majority of hydrocarbons that move are moving substantially horizontally through the formation.

1797. The method of claim 1787, wherein a volume of the second portion has ais larger volume than a volume of the first portion and/or a volume of the third portion.

1798. The method of claim 1787, wherein at least some of the heaters in the first portion are turned down and/or off after injecting oxidizing fluid in the first portion.

1799. The method of claim 1787, further comprising controlling the temperature and the pressure in the first portion and/or the third portion such that (a) at least a majority of the hydrocarbons in the first portion and/or the third portion are visbroken, (b) the pressure is below the fracture pressure of the first portion and/or the third portion, and (c) at least some hydrocarbons in the first portion and/or the third portion form a fluid comprising visbroken hydrocarbons that can be produced through a production well.

1800. The method of claim 1787, further comprising mobilizing at least some hydrocarbons in the second portion using heat provided from heaters located in the second portion, heat transferred from the first portion, and/or heat transferred from the third portion.

1801. The method of claim 1787, further comprising:

providing a catalyst system to the third portion prior to injecting and/or creating a drive fluid; and

contacting the hydrocarbons in the third portion with the catalyst system to produce an in situ diluent.

1802. The method of claim 1801, wherein the in situ diluent comprises aromatic hydrocarbons;

, and further comprising solubilizing bitumen and/or heavy hydrocarbons in the third portion.

1803. The method of claim 1787, further comprising injecting steam into the formation.

1794. The method of claim 181792, wherein a temperature of the first portion is below 450°

C., a temperature of the fourth portion is at least about 100°

C., and a temperature of the fifth portion is at least 450°

C.

1804. A method for treating a subsurface formation, comprising:

producing at least one third of hydrocarbons from a first portion of the formation by an in situ heat treatment process, wherein an average temperature of the first portion is less than 350°

C.;

injecting an oxidizing fluid in the first portion to cause the average temperature of the first portion to increase sufficiently to oxidize hydrocarbons in the first portion and to raise the average temperature of the first portion to greater than 350°

C.; and

injecting a heavy hydrocarbon fluid in the first portion to form a diluent and/or drive fluid, the heavy hydrocarbon fluid comprising condensable hydrocarbons.

1805. The method of claim 1804, wherein the average temperature of the first portion is raised to a temperature ranging from between 350°

C. and 700°

C.

1806. The method of claim 1804, further comprising producing hydrocarbons fro from a second portion of the formation, the second portion being substantially adjacent to the first portion.

1807. The method of claim 1804, further comprising producing hydrocarbons fro from a second portion of the formation, the second portion being substantially adjacent to the first portion, and further comprising causing the diluent and/or drive fluid to move into the second portion, thereby to mobilizing mobilize at least some hydrocarbons in the second portion.

1808. The method of claim 1804, further comprising using the diluent and/or drive fluid to produce additional hydrocarbons from the first portion or from a section portion adjacent to the first sectionportion.

1809. The method of claim 1804, further comprising providing a catalyst system to the first portion.

1810. The method of claim 1804, further comprising providing a catalyst system to the first portion, the catalyst system being adapted to catalytically crack at least a portion of the condensable hydrocarbon in the heavy hydrocarbon fluid.

1811. The method of claim 1804, further comprising adding a catalyst to the first portion after at least one third of the hydrocarbons are produced from the first portion.

1812. The method of claim 1804, further comprising producing providing used catalyst from surface treatment facilities to the formation.

1813. The method of claim 1804, further comprising injecting steam into the formation.

1814-2481. -2481. (canceled)